Process of manufacturing glycerol.



(Whose post-office address is small amount of JOHN R. EOFF, JR., OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. I

No Drawing. 4

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it lmown that 1, JOHN R. Eorr, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and an employee of the Bureau oflnternal Revenue,

' United States Treasury Department, a legal resident of the District of Columbia, residing in the city of Washin 25 Shepherd street N.W.,) have invented a newand useful Processof Manufacturing Glycerol, and have made applicatiomby petition of even date herewith, under the act of March 3rd,

1883, chapter 142, (22'Stat., 625,) prayingthat Letters Patent'm ay be granted tome therefon.

The claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or by any of its ofiicers and employees in the prosecution of work for the United States, or by any person in without payment of any My invention relates to the manufacture of glycerol by fermentation of any fermentable sugar in the presence of alkali. I

- It is well known that ordinary yeast fer.- mentation is usually carried onin acid reacting media, and that, in such media, a glycerol "is obtained as a by-product, but this amount is so small as not to be of value commercially. 7

By my process I ferment solutions of fermentable sugars in such a way that up to yeasts,

20 or 23% of the fermentable sugar present is transposed into glycerol. Asa result of my investigations I confidently believe that these amounts can be largely increased; Among'other products produced are acetic acid, alcohol and acetone.

1 have used in this process pure culture yeastsof both the Ceremsz'ae and Ellipsoi- (Zeus species, but obtain the best results from the Ellipsoideue variety Steinberg, or the wine yeasts, known to the tradeas California wine yeasts. However, I do not wish to limit myself herein to either the specific or-j sugars named, since I believe that any fermentable sugar, and any yeast capable of acclimation in an alkaline medium, will produce the same not in amount.

My process is as follows: The yeasts, first cultivated results, in kind, if

of the varieties named, are 1n sterile grape uice, and,

Specification of Letters Patent.

on, therein,

invention herein described and H production of uallyheated to 190 then the resulting extract is, cooled and fil and brought'to possible to 37 ducting fermentation of such a solution, and

" PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING GLYCEROL.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Applicatiomfiled July 21, 1917. Serial No. 181,936.

.' (DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

, sprouts in water, filtering and condensing it to" a density of 4? Balling, to which is added 20% dextrose sugar, and yeast food consisting of any' of the well known solutions of inorganic salts, such as Pasteurs solution,- or those used for similar purposes, and containing ammonium nitrate, potassium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and traces of zinc and iron salts.

vWhen fermentation is in vigorous ress, sodium or potassium carbonate, or any equivalent, non-antiseptic alkali, is added from time to time until the total amount added to 100 c. 0. equals about that would require 19 c. 0. normal hydrochloric acid for neutralization.

, Whenthe yeast inthis culture medium is der to obtaina-larger amount of starter which for the final transfer to the material to be fermented. This second culture medium is also made alkaline in the same way and to the same degree as the first one, as above related. i

The main liquid to be fermented for the N glycerol is made as follows:

lVIalt sprouts are extracted in water gradtered free from the residue, a density of between 1 to 4? Balling, and to this is added 18 to 20% dextrose in solution. The malt sprouts furnish .albuminoids and mineral salts to the wort, which serve as yeast nutrients. 7

To this Wort, cooledto a fermentation temperature, which I have found to range F. for one-half hour,

between 27 and 50 C., although the optimum temperature is 37 0., I add a small amount of sodium carbonate, or equivalent alkali to render it slightly alkaline in reaction, then from starter described above, and allow fermentation to proceed, adding alkali from time to time, so that the final amount'of alkali added to c. c; is equivalent to about 95 c. 0. normal hydrochloric acid, the temperature beingmaintained all the time as near as C. I have succeeded in conone to two per cent. of the produce the alkalinity so antiseptic in its potassium carbonates, phosphates and hydroxids may be used, but I prefer to use producing glycerol, when sodium carbonate has been added to the amount of 5% of the solution, and with other alkaline reacting substances in equivalent proportions, and it seems thatthe amount of glycerol produced is in some proportion to the amount of alkali present in the Wort, up to'the limit at which the yeast is able to develop. It is not material as to the inorganic salt used to long as it is not nature, and sodium and sodium carbonate because .it is comparatively cheap and easily obtainable. I have succeeded inproducing glycerol in fair amounts with calcium carbonate instead of the stronger alkalis named above.

As another material to be fermented or used as a source of fermentable sugar,l-

may use molasses, and find that the ordinary molasse known under the trade name of Black strap gives good results, although any smnlar substance which contains fermentable sugar may be substituted; for instance, properly purified and neutralized waste sulfite liquor. By properly purified waste sulfite liquor I mean that it shall be free from sulfurous acid, or antiseptic substances, and of the character of that used inwell known processes for the manufacture of ethyl alcohol by fermentation.

illustrative,

I-havefound, however, that the best results are obtained, when using Black' strap molasses, if the fermentation isallowed to begin-in the molasseswhile it is slightly acid in reaction, in order that the invertase of the yeast may have opportunity to invert the sucrose present, and after the fermentation has vigorously begun to add, gradually,

alkali until the limits above indicated have been attained. The molasses should be diluted until it con-] tains about 11% total sugar, at which dilution 20% of the su ar is chan ed into 1 c- O b C 3 the limits of the claims are included within my invention and the protection of the patent for whose issue I have petitioned.

! masses 1 claim 1. The process of producing glycerol, which consists in fermenting a solution of fermentable sugar in an alkaline reacting medium.

2. The process of producing glycerol which consists in fermenting a solution of fermenta ble sugar in an alkaline reacting medium whose-degree of alkalinity is main further fermentation by means of successive tained just short of that which will inhibit additions of an alkaline reacting substance.

3. The process of producing glycerol by fermentation which consists in adding a vigorously fermenting grape juice to a solution of a fermentable sugar, and, after vigorous fermentation has been established in the resulting mixture,'rendering the mixture alkaline by successive additions of increasing amounts of an alkaline reacting substance untilthe degree of alkalinity produced is Just short of that which will inhibit further fermentation, and maintaining this degree of alkalinity by continuing the addition of small amounts of an alkaline reacting'su'bstance.

4. The process of producing glycerol fermentation which consists in adding a vig-- orously fermenting solution of a fermenta'ble sugar to a solution of molasses containing afermentable sugar, and,.after vigorous fermentation has become established in the resulting mixture, rendering the mixture alkaline by successive additions of in- ,creasing amounts of an alkaline reacting substance, until the total degree of alkalinity is just short of that which will inhibit fun ther fermentation, and maintaining that de gree of alkalinity by continuing the addition of small amounts of an alkaline reacting substance.

5. The process of' producing glycerol which consists in cultivating yeast in a solu tion of fermentable sugar until vigorous fermentation has been established, adding this vigorously fermenting mixture to a larger volume of fermentable sugar, permltting vigorous fermentation to become established in this larger amount, then'gradually making thissolution alkaline to the degree of alkalinity which is just short of that necessary to inhibit further fermentation, and maintaining this degree of alkalinity throughout the further course of the fermentation.

Tn witness whereof I have herewith set hand on this the 21st dayof July 1917.

JOHN R. EOFF, JR.

TYitnesses 'BA'rcHELDnn, G. S. KUNKLE.

its 

